life on LA's westside

Grilled Garlic Artichokes

I couldn't just let the beautiful artichokes from yesterday's post (find my fruit + veggie candles here) go to waste after they starred in a blog photo shoot...so I searched around for a simple and yummy recipe, since i'd never actually cooked whole, fresh artichokes before. let me tell you, they are delicious but those suckers are tough to saw into!

we are way into grilling this summer. i've never had a place with AC since living in LA, so when summer hits and we have a few hot days, you'll do anything to not heat up the house. so outdoor cooking it is! i found this recipe online HERE, and made a few tweaks:

Grilled Garlic Artichokes

Ingredients:

2 whole artichokes

1 lemon, quartered

3/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp mayonnaise

Directions:

Set a pot of water on high to boil.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of one lemon into it.

Chop (bust out the chainsaw, folks) about 1/2 inch off the top, or "crown," of each artichoke. Peel off a few of the outermost leaves. Cut stem down to 1/2 inch. Then cut in half lengthwise, and plop in the water/lemon bowl to prevent browning.

Brush the artichokes with the sauce mix above, and place on the grill.

Grill them for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with sauce + flipping every 2 minutes or so. Grill until the tips are charred.

Add mayo to the remaining sauce and use as a dip!

we served them with grilled chicken (that had been marinated in Italian dressing--a favorite easy standby), garlic bread, and rice pilaf.

now that i've tackled them, i can't wait to use them in other recipes! one of my favorite restaurants in college (flat branch, holla!) had an amaaaazing burger that was topped with a "chokes + cheese" spread. i think that will be my next foray into the world of artichokes!

hi, i'm lauren.

it's no secret i think LA's westside is the bestside. on the blog we'll talk food, home decor, stuff to do around town, and all things related to building a home in this crazy city of mine. they say write what you know, so here goes!